The keys of the kingdom of heaven and power thereof according to the word…The keyes of the kingdom of heaven and power thereof according to the word…

Neither let it seem strange, that the power of this Censure, of cutting men off, and delivering them to Satan (in which the positive part (and indeed the controversy betwixt us & others,) of Excommunication lies) should be inseparably linked by Christ unto a particular Congregation, as the proper native privilege hereof, so as that no Assembly or company of Elders justly presumed and granted to be more wise & judicious, should assume it to themselves, or sever the formal power thereof from the particular Congregations. For though it be hard to give the reason of Christs institutions. Yet there is usually in the ways of humane wisdom and reason something analogous thereunto, which may serve to illustrate, if not to justify this dispersion of interests: And so (if we mistake not) there may be found even of this in the wisdom of our Ancestors, in the constitutions of this Kingdom; The sentencing to death of any subject in the Kingdom, as it is the highest civill punishment, so of all other the nearest and exactest parallel to this in spirituals, of cutting a soul off and delivering it to Satan; yet the power of this high judgement is not put into the hands of an Assembly of Lawyers only, no not of all the Judges themselves, men selected for wisdom, faithfulness, and gravity, who yet are by office designed to have an innerest herein; But when they upon any special Cause of difficulty, for counsel and direction in such judgements do all meet (as sometimes they do): Yet they have not power to pronounce this sentence of death upon any man without the concurrence of a Jury of his Peers, which are of his own rank; and in Corporations, of such as are Inhabitants of the same place: And with a Jury of these (men, of themselves not supposed to be so skilful in the Laws, &c.) two Judges, yea one, with other Justices on the Bench hath power to adjudge and pronounce that which all of them, and all the Lawyers in this Kingdom together, have not without a Jury. And we of this Nation use to admire the care and wisdom of our Ancestors herein, & do esteem this privilege of the Subject in this particular (peculiar to our Nation) as one of the glories of our Laws, and do make beast of it as such a liberty and security to each persons life, ⟨image 7⟩as (we think) no Nation about us can show the like.

Neither let it seeme strange, that the power of this Censure, of cutting men off, and delivering them to Satan (in which the positive part (and indeed the controversie betwixt us & others,) of Excommunication lyes) should be inseperably linked by Christ unto a particular Congregation, as the proper native priviledge hereof, so as that no Assembly or company of Elders justly presumed and granted to be more wise & judicious, should assume it to themselves, or sever the formall power thereof from the particular Congregations. For though it be hard to give the reason of Christs institutions. Yet there is usually in the wayes of humane wisedom and reason something analogous thereunto, which may serve to illustorate, if not to justifie this dispersion of intrests: And so (if we mistake not) there may be found even of this in the wisedome of our Ancestours, in the constitutions of this Kingdome; The sentencing to death of any subject in the Kingdome, as it is the highest civill punishment, so of all other the neerest and exactest paralell to this in spiritualls, of cutting a soule off and delivering it to Satan; yet the power of this high judgement is not put into the hands of an Assembly of Lawyers onely, no not of all the Judges themselves, men selected for wisedome, faithfullnesse, and gravity, who yet are by office designed to have an inerest herein; But when they upon any speciall Cause of difficulty, for councell and direction in such judgements doe all meete (as sometimes they doe): Yet they have not power to pronounce this sentence of death upon any man without the concurrence of a Jury of his Peeres, which are of his owne ranke; and in Corporations, of such as are Inhabitants of the same place: And with a Jury of these (men, of themselves not supposed to be so skilfull in the Lawes, &c.) two Judges, yea one, with other Justices on the Bench hath power to adjudge and pronounce that which all of them, and all the Lawyers in this Kingdome together, have not without a Jury. And we of this Nation use to admire the care and wisedom of our Ancestors herein, & do esteeme this priviledge of the Subject in this particular (peculiar to our Nation) as one of the glories of our Lawes, and doe make beast of it as such a liberty and security to each persons life,